Neugen Family Day 2023 – Speech by Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development

Mr Phillip Tan,

Chairman of ISCOS Board of Trustees,

Mr Joshua Tay,

Chairman of NeuGen Fund Management Board,

Mr Sallim Abdul Kadir,

Chairman of ISCOS Board of Directors,

Partners, sponsors, volunteers,

Families and friends.

Introduction

1. Good afternoon!

2. I am very happy to be able to join you at NeuGen’s family day.

3. It is wonderful that we have so many families here today. I understand that there are close to 700 people joining this event today. This is a very good turnout - more than double the 300 people we had at the last Neugen Family Day, so congratulations to the team! I see many excited faces here today, both children and adults, all prepared for a fun-filled day.

NeuGen’s Family Day 2023

4. NeuGen’s annual family day is held to promote family bonding.

5. I hear that the organising team has planned many activities this year. There will  be water play at the different stations and exciting rides. There will also be stage  performances and lucky draw.

6. A big thank you to all the families here today. Thank you, for taking your time and effort to bring your children out for a day of fun. It is a nice closure to the school holidays. This is a great chance for parents to spend time and create precious memories with your children.

NeuGen’s Direction and Work

7. Families are an important part of society and are at the centre of what NeuGen does. NeuGen’s work with families also complements its work on empowering children and youths, in shaping their future and enabling them to contribute to society.

8. In the past six months, the number of families supported by NeuGen has almost doubled to four hundred.

9. I would like to thank the staff and volunteers of NeuGen, for all your hard work and dedication. I think they are passionate and committed to be part of the journey to bring meaningful aspects to the lives of our friends and families.

10. The work that you do is meaningful. A stable family and home environment is crucial for the child’s development. As you help the families, you are also making an impact to the lives of many children.

11. NeuGen recognises this, and will therefore continue to reach out to more families. Moving forward, the NeuGen team will also design its programmes and services such that they can better support families.

12. For example, NeuGen will be piloting the Family Befrienders initiative this year, to reach out to more families and children. The volunteers will work closely with case managers from NeuGen. They will ensure that the families and children receive timely and relevant support.

13. This may include family bonding activities, household supplies, and home improvement projects.

14. The family’s situation may change overtime. NeuGen wants families to know that you can always approach NeuGen for help.

15. NeuGen will also continue to focus on building children up to be strong persons, both mentally and emotionally. This will be done in a number of ways through

NeuGen’s Existing Programmes

(a) For example, the mentoring programmes and Youth Engagement Platform will provide an avenue for the children to receive pro-social and mental health support.

(b) There are also other programmes such as the after-school activities to allow the children to explore different interests. Sports, music, art and drama, to name some.

(c) The educational initiatives such as bursary awards and sponsored tuition will also continue, to recognise and support the children in their academic needs.

Conclusion

16. So to end this speech, I would like to commend the effort and time committed by the various partners, sponsors and volunteers in making this meaningful event possible.

17. In particular, I would like to give a special mention to Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow for sponsoring today’s event, and for mobilising your employees to volunteer. We also have volunteers from Cisco and Morgan Stanley here today. I just want to say that we appreciate your support very much.

18. I wish all of you a fun-filled day ahead.

19. Thank you